Date Published: 06/18/09
NIGER DELTA: A new approach.
By Danmeka
The story of the Niger Delta is the story of Nigeria. Suffering in the midst of plenty. The Niger Delta region is the oil-bearing region, which feeds the nation. The national economy is purely monoproduct, relying earnings from oil. Oil has been the mainstay of the nation’s economy but the people of the region where the oil is drilled are the most poorest and underdeveloped in the country today. The consequence of oil pollution and environmental degradation has rendered the socio-economic activities to a standstill. Yet billions of dollars accrue as revenue to the country from the oil wells of Niger Delta, foreign oil companies aided by present and past governments and so-called Niger Delta elitist leaders of thoughts has catalysed a growing militancy among the restive youths in the Niger Delta.
After nearly four decades of oil production, Nigeria had by the early 1990s become almost completely dependent on petroleum extraction economically, generating 25% of its GDP(this has since risen to 40% as of 2000). Despite the vast wealth created by petroleum, the benefits have been slow to trickle down to the majority of the population, who since the 1960s have increasingly been forced to abandon their traditional agricutural practices. Annual production of both cash and food crops dropped significantly in the latter decades of 20th century, cocoa production dropped by 43% (Nigeria was the world's largest cocoa exporter in 1960), rubber dropped by 29%, cotton by 65%, and groundnut by 64%. In spite of the large number of skilled, well-paid Nigerians who have been employed by the oil corporations, the majority of Nigerians and most especially the people of the Niger Delta states and the far north have become poorer since the 1960s.Various face saving efforts by previous government such Operation Feed the Nation(OFN),Green Revelution, Directorate of Food, Roads, and Rural Infrastructure (DFFRI),NDDC, and now the proposed Niger Delta Ministry will not solve the Niger Delta crises.
A political solution is need to solve this crises but the leaders of the Nigeria Polity seems inestimable by the damage done to the psyche of a nation in every facet of life by the ambush of the rule of law. It is about time the foreign and private oil companies get involve with genuine leaders of thought among the tribes that make up the Niger Delta. They need to a record of understanding in dealing with issue at stake, the oil companies that have an invested interest in the Niger Delta needs to play a role. Recent events on how the military task force coming across a list of militants’ sponsors is a welcome one. If President Yar Adua is man of his word he should release the names of these sponsors since they have committed a crime of treason. These faceless men and anti –Nigerian cabals should dealt with according to the laws of the land.
Watching Ross Kemp’s Search for Pirates on Sky One Monday 15 June 2009 focusing on Nigeria paints a picture of deplorable conditions in the oil producing areas of the Niger Delta. Rivers, creeks, streams and farmland destroyed and polluted thereby affecting the live hoods of the affected communities. The activities of large oil corporations such as Mobil, Chevron, Shell, Elf, Agip etc have raised many concerns and criticisms. Oil, which could potentially have allowed Nigeria to be one of the wealthiest countries in Africa, has instead led it to become one of the poorest.
A series of repressive and corrupt governments in Nigeria have been supported and maintained by western governments and oil corporations, keen on benefiting from the fossil fuels that can be exploited. As people and transnational oil corporations have been fighting over this “dark nectar” in the delta region, immense poverty and environmental destruction have resulted. The recent $15 million agreement between Royal Dutch Shell and the families of some Ogoni leaders executed in 1995 by the military government of General Sani Abacha. Yes it is a symbolic breakthrough for Ogoni people but the issues remain on ground. Twenty years ago last month, the super tanker Exxon Valdez struck a reef in Prince William Sound and ran aground, releasing 40 million litres {approximately 10 million gallons) into the surrounding sea and onto the beaches. It remains the worst oil spill in US maritime history. In the days that followed, impact inventories revealed the lethal outcome: a quarter of a million sea birds had been killed, along with 22 Orca whales, nearly 3000 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, and unknown millions of fish eggs.In 1991, the Alaskan and US Governments reached an agreement with Exxon Mobil in a 900 million dollar settlement, almost 200 million of which was set aside for scientific study of the disaster and its impact on the PWS ecosystem. Exxon Mobile also funded its own studies (generating 400 papers and reports) which were frequently in disagreement with the government scientists’ reports and findings. If Exxon Mobil can pay $900 million for settlement ,the mere $15 million which is a mere drop on the ocean would not solve the environmental damages and socio-economic activities of the Niger Delta.
A new approach is need to end this crisis and the major oil companies need to put their head together and come up with a master plan to support local communities. Oil companies can play a positive role in emerging economies and can contribute to improving living standards of communities and promoting their greater economic self-sufficiency by increasing the availability of infrastructures, supplying technical training, enhancing access to basic services and increasing the efficiency of production systems. The oil companies can borrow a leaf from Consolidated Goldfields that secretly organised the meetings between the South African Government and the leadership of the African National Congress(ANC). These led to the end of the apartheid system and the release of Nelson Mandela. Rather than accept and support the current status quo, they should prepare for the alternative and deal with Niger Delta leaders and youth organisations with the interest of the region at heart. For this work to succed every ethnic group in the Niger Delta should come together and achieve a common purpose since they are all in the same boat. The President and the Govenors of this region should come up with a special plan to ease development in this area. Creating a Ministry of Niger Delta is just another divide and rule tactics to divide the people of Niger Delta. The elections in 2011 is for the youths of the Niger Delta to mobilise themselves, they can learn form Iran, rather than using violence,use your vote to elect people who will fight your cause for a better future for the Niger Delta. Don’t let the same people decieve you to carry arms and intimidate people to vote for them.
Danmeka
danmeka@inbox.com
